Obama favorite 'Spiaggia' nominated for Chicago's top restaurant award

Chicago, Mar. 24 (ANI): President Barack Obama's favorite restaurant, Spiaggia, is among the Chicago nominees for the prestigious James Beard Awards.

Chef Tony Mantuano's upscale North Michigan Avenue restaurant, Spiaggia is running for "outstanding service" in the Beard Awards, the restaurant industry's top honors, named for the late food writer, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Spiaggia is also a favorite of the first lady.

However, chef Paul Kahan - of Blackbird, Avec and the Publican - is up for "outstanding chef."

The nominees were announced on Tuesday in Chicago.

L2O, which opened in the old Ambria space on Lincoln Park West in Lincoln Park, was the only Chicago restaurant nominated in the "best new restaurant" category.

Koren Grieveson, who runs the kitchen at Kahan's Avec restaurant, was one of three Chicago nominees in the "best chef-Great Lakes category."

The others: Arun Sampathavivat of Arun's, a pioneering fine-dining Thai restaurant on the North Side, and Bruce Sherman of North Pond.

This is the first year the Beard nominees were announced in Chicago. The awards ceremony will be held in May in New York. (ANI)